Of Royals and Ruin
by Nightmares-Of-Quirk
Summary: The war has been over for little more than a year, but that doesn't mean Azula's thirst for revenge has died down. In order to free the remaining pro-war supporters, she tells a few white lies to an unexpected source of help. Will their relationship stay "strictly business", or evolve into something more that will make both of them question everything they've ever believed?
1. Chapter 1

_Tonight is the night,_ the bedraggled girl thought to herself as she leaned against the back wall of her cell. _Tonight is the night I will finally escape from this hellish establishment and climb my way back to the top… Where I belong_.

She gritted her teeth as all the memories of how close she came to being crowned the Queen of the Fire Nation flooded her head. If only that damned brother of hers hadn't turned into a traitor. If only he hadn't brought that pesky little Waterbender along to interfere with their Agni Kai. She was sure she would have won if she hadn't had to deal with that blue-eyed parasite. She could have been the first female ruler of the Fire Nation… Of the entire world.

She could have had limitless power over every living, breathing thing on Earth, and the mere thought of what she'd been reduced to (a defeated, seething mental patient) was enough to make steam blow out of her ears.

But she had to remain calm. She and her father had discussed this plan over and over again whenever they were permitted to visit each other, and the only way their heist would work was if she could keep herself composed.

She smirked. Of course she could. It was silly of her to doubt herself, really. She was Azula, daughter of the former Phoenix King Ozai. She was royalty. She had been trained since childhood in the arts of tact, strategy, and grace. _She _was the sibling who should have been sitting on the throne, not Zuko.

And whenever she escaped, rallied her supporters, and took down that scarred cretin, that was exactly where she'd be. She simply had to wait.

About an hour passed before she could hear the heavy footsteps and loud chattering of her evening guards coming to retrieve her for her nightly bathroom break. This was it. This was her chance.

She casually inspected her nails as the key turned with a clink in the lock of the heavy, metal door. It had one very small window with stubby iron bars obstructing the opening. She supposed they were there to prevent more aggressive inmates, such as herself, from gouging the eyes out of the guards with chopsticks or suffocating them with a harsh grip on their throats. She had to hand it to them, it was a smart move. She wasn't entirely sure that she wouldn't have tried either of those tactics, had the opportunity presented itself.

"Alright, prisoner, you know the drill," said the shorter, stockier guard as the door swung open. "Keep your hands raised above your head where we can see them at all times, ya-da ya-da ya-da, don't try anything funny."

Azula smiled mockingly at him. "'Prisoner'? Oh, come now, surely we've seen enough of each other this past year to be on a first-name basis. No need to keep re-enforcing all these tired formalities, don't you agree?"

The taller, skinnier guard rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, just get a move on."

She shrugged nonchalantly and proceeded down the hallway as they asked.

_Alright, Daddy. Time to make you proud_.

As soon as she passed through the doorway leading into a separate hallway, she grabbed the doorknob and bashed the door into the shorter guard's face. He stumbled backwards into the taller guard, crying out in pain and clutching at his now-broken nose. They both collapsed to the ground, and Azula noticed that the key to that particular ward had fallen out of one of their pockets.

The taller guard noticed too, and tried desperately to wiggle out from under his partner in order to get a hold of it. His fingertips barely grazed the cool metal before Azula swooped in and plucked it from the ground.

"Well, boys, it certainly was lovely to see you again," the former Fire Princess quipped as she stood triumphantly above them. "Though I'm _terribly_ sorry to inform you that this is our last encounter. In fact, the next time you see me, it will most likely not be in person, unless you decide to show up for my coronation. Otherwise, you'll just have to settle for gazing at my lovely face on posters around the city that will be created for that event."

With that, she locked the two bumbling idiots in the ward and sped off to her point of escape. She envisioned the prison map that her father had smuggled in for her as she quickly and quietly sprinted down various corridors. Two right turns, then a left. After that, she would have to keep running straight until she came to the nearest window in the vicinity that had a considerably low drop to the ground. Not that she _needed_ things to be easy, of course. It was just that she was about to escape from the Boiling Rock and preferred that all her limbs stay intact for her getaway.

She could hear shouting and felt the muffled thumps of footsteps behind her as more and more guards were alerted to her presence. A satisfied and somewhat arrogant smile spread across her face. Good. They _should_ be worried.

The forementioned window, her gateway to freedom and all it entailed, finally came into view up ahead. However, her path was cut short by the prison warden, who darted into view from a side hallway a few yards in front of her.

"Going somewhere, Princess?" The man had to be at least in his early fifties, but was fit for his age. He was also a Firebender, Azula knew, and had seen him many times at Uncle Iroh's various Pi Sho tournaments when she was younger. He had never supported the war effort whenever her father had been Fire Lord, and was more than happy to take on the job of keeping all the war criminals in line in jail.

Azula stopped in her tracks, relaxed her shoulders, and smirked as she placed a hand on her hip. She could take him.

"I suggest you get out of my way, old man. You wouldn't want to get hurt, now would you? Especially not from attacks inflicted by a young girl like me. Wouldn't exactly boost your reputation, you know."

The warden barked out a quick laugh, but narrowed his eyes at her nonetheless, clearly insulted by the fact that a teenager was patronizing him. "You'll do well to keep your mouth shut, girl. Now do as commanded and go back to your cell, before you do something to get into even deeper trouble than you're already in."

It was Azula's turn to laugh, and what a maniacal laugh it was. "I don't think you understand, _warden_. I'm leaving. Not that it hasn't been fun, playing the deranged, teenage criminal who was thrown in a psychiatric ward in prison for a year, but I really did nothing to deserve this punishment and I've decided I'm not going to put up with it anymore. So if you could just step out of the way-"

"Seize her!" The warden pointed to the crowd of guards standing a few yards behind her, his face red from anger.

If Azula had time to roll her eyes, she would have. Unfortunately, the accomplice who was waiting outside for her in a boat had persistently and nervously reminded her father that he could not wait forever for her arrival. She would just have to reserve her witty put-downs for a later time and take out these guards as quickly as she could. It would be easy enough.

She spun around and sent a huge wave of fire roaring at the armor-clad fools. She wasn't a stupid girl. She knew they hadn't expected it, seeing as how the prison cook was instructed to dissolve anti-bending tablets in any known bender's drink. It hadn't been hard to dispose of the liquid when no one was looking, whether she poured it in the pot of a plant or forced it upon another unlucky soul in the cafeteria.

The untamed orange flames sent them scattering off in all different directions, yelping and panicking like the cowards they were.

_Twenty or so down, the warden to go_.

She whirled around just in time to send a counteractive ball of fire straight at the one he'd aimed at her seconds before. It felt excellent to finally let her chakra loose, to finally release all the pent-up frustration she'd been trying to ignore in the form of her blessed element. The fact that she was taking a great deal of it out on the "boss" made it that much better. She had always been one to assume authority rather than answer to it.

She dodged flame after flame as she closed the distance between them. She was finally able to edge close enough so that the end of her cracking, sizzling whip of fire sent him flying backwards into the wall. He clasped the upper part of his left arm as he struggled to stand. However, he was too greatly weakened and simply slid back down to the floor.

"Can't say I didn't warn you," Azula chided as she stooped down so that they were on eye level. With one swift movement, her fist collided with the warden's head and he blacked out instantly. She ripped off one of his heavy, steel-toe boots and flung it at the window. She was off into the night before any guards discovered their unconscious superior in the hallway.

* * *

**A/N**: Alright. So. Welcome, whoever you are, to my attempt at writing a half-decent Azula and Jet fic that was originally going to be an attempt at a half-decent Zutara fic before this wild idea popped into my head. I really don't know why I had suddenly got the feeling that I should write it about them instead; the idea just sort of appeared out of nowhere, dragged me into an alleyway, and beat the living snot out of me until I finally agreed to comply. So, here I give you chapter 1. There could be many more chapters, depending on your opinion of how it's going so far. I know there really isn't much to go on as, again, it is only the first chapter, and Jet is so far nowhere in sight. I guess I should warn you that this is most likely going to be a slow moving story at first, seeing as how I don't even have chapter 2 written yet (oops). I just wanted the get it started and post SOMETHING so I felt like I was making some progress with this. Well, I'll get back to writing so you can get to reading. Au revoir!


	2. Chapter 2

About five days passed before the familiar outline of Ember Island became visible on the horizon. Azula stood at the bow of the small fishing boat her accomplice, Katzu, had commandeered to aid her in her escape. She'd grown fairly annoyed with the middle-aged man during the short time she'd been forced to spend with him; he was nervous and fidgety and bore a striking resemblance to a weasel. She couldn't shrug the notion that he was some sort of flake and secretly questioned her father's decision to hire him. She supposed she shouldn't, however. If Ozai was willing to put his trust in the man, then so was she… For the time being, at least.

"Katzu," she called without taking her eyes off of the land mass in the distance. "How much longer until we reach our destination? I'm starting to feel restless."

"Four hours approximately, Miss," he replied from the tiny cabin.

"Are we sailing at maximum speed?"

"Uh- No, Miss."

She narrowed her eyes. "Sail faster."

* * *

Three-and-a-half hours later, Azula was kneeling at a table in her father's study, her eyes flickering in all directions the instant she heard even the slightest creak of wood or rustle of leaves outside the window. Nobody knew she was there, save for Katzu. Her father could only assume she had made it and the plan had worked. Whenever she arrived on the island and made her way to his isolated (and heavily guarded) home, there had been no sign that he was even there. All she could do was take to the tree tops, sneak in through the open window, and wait. She grew more antsy and twitchy as the minutes passed.

A sudden noise outside the door jolted her out of her seat and into a fighting stance. There was no time to scan the room for a hiding place, which was what she _should_ have been doing instead of just staring off into space like some dopey sloth. She mentally slapped herself for being so stupid. Clearly, she was going to have to work on disciplining herself.

As the sliding partition was pushed to the side, Azula dropped her stance and bowed. There stood- or rather, _sat_- her father. He'd managed to come alone, without any of the many guards her brother had ordered to moniter him 24/7 as collateral for his request to live the remainder of his days on the island. _She_ hadn't been lucky enough to recieve such a privelage, having been declared mentally unstable and forced to spend an undisclosed amount of time in the dank and dirty psychiatric ward of the Boiling Rock. Her hatred for her brother grew impossibly larger every time she thought about it.

Ozai wheeled himself into the room so that he was seated directly across from where his daughter had previously been waiting for him. After his defeat at the hands of the Avatar, he'd been left crippled, weak, and completely stripped of his ability to bend. He had tried his very best to learn to walk again, but after the first few months of no results, he at long last realized his attempts were futile. It wasn't as if he was a _threat_. He didn't _need_ to be guarded day and night, with very limited privacy or time alone.

_Or maybe he does_, Azula thought after a moment's realization. _He did help me escape_, _after all_.

She smirked and kneeled before him as she waited for him to speak.

"As I am sure you know, time is not on our side, daughter. This meeting must be short, direct, and to the point. I will give you the briefing on what you must do during your mission, and then you will be off. Understood?"

Her face slightly fell. There was no "Welcome back, Azula, I've missed you" or "I've long awaited your return." Just the same practical, detached, military-style instruction a General would use with his charge whilst training.

_And you shouldn't expect anything different_, she reminded herself. _This is no time to get sentimental. You may be his daughter, but you are the top-rank warrior who holds the key to regaining the throne above all else_.

"Yes, Father."

He nodded. "Good. Now, you already know that the prison containing the rest of the war supporters is located on the very western edge of the Earth Kingdom. I believe it sits on an island a few miles off shore. Do not think that this is a task you will be able to complete alone, Azula. You cannot simply ambush the fortress with a one-woman army. You will need to find others who are willing to help you, and they must be just as skilled as you, if not more so, in strategy, combat, and stealth. In fact, I have a group of individuals who fit these standards in mind already."

Her brow furrowed in curiosity. "Who, Father?"

"I trust you remember the band of rogue teenagers that almost flooded out one of our colonies in the Earth Kingdom a while back. The 'Freedom Fighters', they called themselves. They were headed by a young man called Jet, who eventually disbanded the group and tried to make a better life for himself in Ba Sing Se. My sources tell me he's grown tired of the city, and is attempting to stitch his former 'family' back together."

"Wait, is this the same man who was helping the Avatar? If he was so against us, then why would he help us now?"

"Patience, Azula. I have reasons behind the decisions I make."

She cast her eyes downwards and her shoulders sank ever so slightly out of embarrassment at her outburst. He was right. She was getting too ahead of herself.

"In order to gain the boy's trust," her father continued. "You'll need to do something quite contradictory, something you've always been very good at."

She lifted her head and met his eyes. "And that is?"

A small smile that was anything but loving spread across his face. "Lie."

* * *

It took nearly a month to reach Earth Kingdom shores after the former Fire Princess and that pesky Katzu finally left Ember Island. They'd been able to procure a somewhat larger vessel to sail on, though there still was not very much elbow room. She couldn't believe her father had made him go with her. She understood that his aid had been necessary in her escape from the Boiling Rock and that she would need help to break the war supporters out, but for Agni's sake, she could travel on her own! She wasn't a child. Though, she supposed she shouldn't defy her father. He knew what was best, after all, and he was right when he said it would arouse less suspicion if Katzu were the one to go get more food and supplies whenever they docked at ports along the way.

She hadn't ventured out at any of their various pit-stops, for she knew that word _had_ to have spread by now that she was missing. There were bound to be posters bearing her face plastered on every wall in sight, and she wasn't about to take the chance of being recognized.

She glanced at the small, grimy mirror that was hung haphazardly beside the bottom bunk of the cabin and took in her reflection. She didn't look much different than she did before her days as a prisoner. Her face wasn't sunken in and she hadn't lost much weight, as they had fed her well. Her muslces weren't as firm as they used to be, however, and her control of her bending had slacked, but all of that would be back up to par again soon enough.

She kept her hair pulled back tightly into the traditional top knot, as she always had. The jet-black strands were thick and naturally straight, and hardly ever held to curls. When she was a little girl, people would always tell her it was her hair that made her look so much like her mother. She took it as a compliment then, but she never would now. Nobody knew the neglect she had felt because of the Fire Lady's favoritism for her son...

_"Mama, tell me another one! Tell me one about how I'll be the Fire Lord one day!"_

_Azula, who had been playfully chasing her six-tailed monkey lizard throughout the corridors of the palace, stopped dead in her tracks outside of her parents' room. She quietly tiptoed to the door and slid it open so that she could peer in through the tiniest of cracks. There, on the bed, sat her brother and her mother, both curled up with a cup of tea. She felt a sharp pang of jealousy at how Zuko was nestled up under her chin, her eyes gazing down at him lovingly in a way that she'd never looked at her daughter._

_The young Fire Princess narrowed her eyes as they continued speaking._

_"Another one? Hmm... Okay. When you are Fire Lord, Zuko, the whole world will be at your feet. Thousands will cheer at your coronation, and you will be adored by all. You will be a leader, one of best there's ever been. You'll have lots of important parties to go to with lots of important people. All the pretty girls will fawn over you and fight for your affections. But you'll have responsibilities, too, you know. If and when your father conquers the four nations, or what's left of them, power over these vast lands will fall unto you."_

_"Really?" Zuko's eyes widened in fascination. "It'll all be mine?"_

_"Well, technically speaking, yes," their mother replied with a hint of what Azula presumed to be disapproval. "But do not forget that these lands have once belonged to someone else. Though our great country may be well on its way to claiming them all, the foreign races who have dwelled in these other nations for centuries must be treated kindly, and with respect. They were there first, after all."_

_"But Father said that they're all species of vermin, with no true purpose in life other than to serve us."_

_Ursa sighed. It was a heavy sigh, like she'd been carrying a weight on her shoulders for far too long and exhaling was the only way to relieve it. "Believe what you wish, Zuko. But keep my words in the back of your head as you grow into the bright young man I know you will one day become. Remember that not even the mightiest dragon has more reason to live than a tiny butterfly in a meadow."_

_Azula was confused. What was her mother saying? Did she not want her father to win the war? That was what it sounded like. But why not? Daddy was doing a good thing. He was gonna kill all those nasty, foreign peasants so they could make the Fire Nation bigger and better than ever. Didn't Mommy want that too?_

_She was about to step away and head back to her room, when, "Mama? What's going to happen to Azula when I become Fire Lord? I mean, what will that make her?"_

_She turned back to the door and peeked in, both nervous and eager to hear the answer herself. Would she get to help her brother rule? Would she take her mother's place as Fire Lady? Was that how it worked?_

_"Well, my dear, your sister will be then exactly what she is now- a princess. At least until your son or daughter is born, in which case there will be a new heir to the throne and Azula will become a Noblewoman. She will most likely be married off to a wealthy political family with high influence in your court. But these days are very far off, and you shouldn't fret over them at this age."_

_Azula huffed and her hands curled into fists at her sides. What if she didn't _want_ to marry someone? What if _she_ wanted to be Fire Lord? How come Zuko just automatically got picked to be the heir to the throne?! They should have at least had a contest for it! She was the better bender anyway! It wasn't fair._

_Zuko seemed to hesitate for a moment before emitting a small giggle. "Don't tell her I said this," he whispered. "But I don't think she'd make a very good Fire Lord anyway."_

_Azula's jaw dropped and her eyes quickly flickered to her mother to see how she'd react. She was severely disappointed when Ursa let out her own little chuckle and said, "I won't tell if you don't tell anyone that I agree with you."_

* * *

She snapped herself out of her reverie and snarled at the mirror. To anyone else, it would have seemed like she was upset with herself, but it wasn't her own reflection she saw in the glass. No, it was the smirking face of her mother.

"You always were a traitor," Azula growled, her upper lip starting to twitch out of fury. "You never supported your husband the way a good Fire Lady should. You never supported your _country_. You were weak, and your false sense of righteousness has plagued _your own damn son!"_

"You are right, Azula," her mother's reflection stated calmly. "I did not support my husband's war, the war that he forced upon you and is still trying to wage. I did not support the spread of the Fire Nation to other countries, as it would disrupt the balance of things. I am a traitor to your father's agenda of death and poverty, and though it took a long while, your brother has finally realized that aiding the Avatar in his quest for world peace instead of chasing him all over the globe is the right thing to do."

"You're wrong!" Azula's voice became a shrill, piercing shriek. "Zuko is not the one who should be sitting on that throne, _I am! _Fire was meant to be the dominant element in this world, and that fact will be known to all once I reclaim my rightful position as Fire Lord! Our country was meant to expand its empire to the farthest corners of the world! Only I have what it takes to accomplish such a feat. Only I have what it takes to be Fire Lord! _Zuko does not make a good Fire Lord!_"

Ursa simply stared at her daughter as a small smile bloomed on her face. "You _would_ have what it takes to be Fire Lord if you were this passionate about the greater good. You could be so much more than a villain, Azula. Don't you realize that?"

"Shut up!" The distressed teenager collapsed to her knees, her hands pulling at her hair in an attempt to make the hallucination go away. "Stop trying to turn me into a replication of yourself! I refuse to back down from my destiny as a ruler. I refuse to be a spineless leech with absolutely no allegiance to my country! _I refuse to become any likeness of you!"_

Before the ghost of her mother could say anything else that would drive her off the deep end, she lunged for the scissors on the nightstand, pulled her top knot straight up, and-

_Snip..._

Her mother disappeared immediately as her newly-shoulder-length hair drifted down around her face.

* * *

**A/N: **Like I said- slow moving. Not entirely sure how I feel about this chapter, but I guess it will do for now. For about a week after I posted chapter 1, I could absolutely not think of any way to start off this one, so I had to walk away from it for a while. I wrote the majority of it late- very late- last night and finished it up today. Let me know what you guys think of it so far. I'm not going to cling to your leg like a koala bear and beg for reviews, but how else will I know if anyone likes it? How will I know to continue? That being said, I hope you all had a splendid Easter, for those of you who celebrate it. Oh, and Happy April Fools Day, for those of you who celebrate that too. I have the whole week off from school, so I should be able to get a fair amount of the next few chapters written. Can't gaurantee when they'll be posted though. I've been suffering from some sort of writer's block lately. Well, au revoir!


	3. Chapter 3

Azula stared at her reflection, her eyes wide and mouth slightly parted in surprise. She'd stopped having these hallucinations months ago. Why were they all of a sudden coming back? It couldn't have been because she hadn't been taking her medication, could it? If that was the case, they would have started up again earlier.

And… _Her hair_. She gently reached up and gingerly rubbed the end of one section between her finger and thumb. She had always been a practical girl and cared nothing for looks, but it was just so… _Short_.

She set the scissors back down on the nightstand and collapsed on the bottom bunk with a sigh.

_No matter_, she thought as she pulled out a small scroll from one of the drawers. _Father told me I would need a disguise, anyway_.

She unraveled the parchment and began to read Ozai's instructions for what was probably the millionth time since they'd departed from his home.

In order for her to see this mission through, she had to become someone entirely different, with a new name and back story. Specifically, Song; a young, teenage girl from Kotzut, the capital of the Fire Nation, who was traveling to the Earth Kingdom with her father (a role that was intended to be portrayed by Katzu, she noticed disdainfully). Whenever they found this Jet character's hideaway in the forest, she was supposed to let it slip that her "father" had formerly been a high-ranking lieutenant, and had information about the Fire Lord's "plans" to start another invasion.

She smirked. _Daddy really does have it all planned out_.

She put the scroll back in its place, stood up, stretched, and yawned. Her fingertips were merely a few inches away from grazing the ceiling, and she scowled at the tremendous lack of privacy that the cramped boat provided. She was definitely not used to this at all, even after spending a year in a claustrophobic prison cell. At least then she didn't have to listen to anyone snore. Maybe if she had gotten the bright idea to chop off all her hair earlier, they could have gone into town and stayed at an inn that night. She still would have had to deal with the snoring, but an actual bed would have made up for it… Sort of.

"Erm, Azul- I mean, Song- could you perhaps open the door? I've got my arms full of provisions and need a little bit of help."

Azula rolled her eyes and huffed angrily as she marched over to the door and flung it open. "You _idiot_," she hissed after ushering him inside. "Barely a month into this mission and you already drop a name. There _are_ other boats docked nearby, you know. Anyone could have heard you and easily reported us."

"Oh, uh, yes, of course- you're right, Miss. I'm very sorry…"

But Katzu didn't seem to be paying attention as he stumbled over to the counter in the kitchen nook and began pulling various travelling essentials out of the bags.

She threw up her hands in exasperation and made her way back to her bunk. "Men," she muttered as she slid under the blankets. "Honestly, they never listen. Katzu, finish packing our bags quickly. We're leaving first thing tomorrow morning and we'll need all the energy we can get. We _will_ be reaching our destination by nightfall."

"Yes, Miss."

* * *

Azula was tired. Azula was dirty. Azula was irritated.

For nine hours, she had trekked through the forest with her clumsy, know-nothing tag-along and there was so far no signs of any type of human life. Where were the footprints? Where were the snaps of broken twigs after a heavy body came down on them? Where on earth was this boy supposed to be?

Granted, she hadn't yet arrived at the exact coordinates her father had given her, but she was an impatient girl and sometimes that flaw got the better of her.

_Calm yourself, Azula. Remember to hold your temper..._

"Do you suppose we could take a break, Miss?" Katzu, or rather, Letoh, inquired as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "It's almost as hot here as it is back home."

Azula pinched the bridge of her nose and blew a bit of smoke out of her nostrils in annoyance. "No, Katzu, we are not taking a break," she said as she turned to face him. "And from now on, you must refer to me as Song. This mission requires us to act like father and daughter, and though your pathetic, bumbling, good-for-nothing ass could never actually live up to my _real_ father, you had better start getting into character soon. Understand, _Letoh_?"

The man gulped and nodded quickly, clearly frightened by the frustrated and wild-eyed Firebender standing before him.

"Good. Then let's continue."

They pressed on for about another hour and a half before a faint whooping and hollering could be heard in the distance. Azula turned to Katzu once again.

"Alright, looks like we've found the place. Judging by the volume of those voices and the echos created from the waves bouncing off the walls in this valley, I'd say the rogue encampment is only a five minute walk away. Remember to act weary and reserved, as if you've seen and heard more things you wish you hadn't in your years as a lieutenant than most would in an entire lifetime. If anyone speaks to you, don't reveal too much. Details shouldn't be important, but if they are, let me handle them. Do you have the scroll my father gave you?"

He nodded and pulled it out of his knapsack to prove that he hadn't lost it before shoving it back inside.

"Good. Do not forget that my name is Song, now, or that you are to introduce yourself as Letoh."

He nodded again and they set off once more. Just as she predicted, it took only five minutes for the first shabby treehouse to come into view. Oddly enough, it didn't seem like anyone was home. Nobody was walking around or yelling for someone to come look at the mysterious strangers that were waltzing into their territory. Azula narrowed her eyes ever so slightly in suspicion as they passed another vacant treehouse and made their way farther into the camp.

_Try not to look too threatening_, she reminded herself. _You're supposed to be an innocent traveler with no combat or reconnaissance experience. You didn't even know these treehouses were here. This is a coincidence._

"Wow, Father, these tree huts look old," she proclaimed with a false tone of surprise. She figured that they were being watched by hidden eyes and that word was spreading through the tiny camp that they had unexpected visitors. "I wonder who built them. They sure are impressive."

Katzu shifted his eyes around in a mock display of distrust. "Stay close, Song. We don't know what could be lurking around in these parts. We could be robbed blind by bandits."

Azula forced a throaty chuckle and rolled her eyes. "Oh, Father, don't be silly. This place looks thoroughly abandoned! Why, I bet that no one's lived here in-"

"Identify yourselves!"

They had arrived at what appeared to be the heart of the camp and stopped in the very center of the small, circular clearing at the sound of a decidedly male voice. Azula had to restrain her smirk and replaced it with a fearful, wide-eyed expression as she snapped her head in the direction it had come from. There, on the balcony of the biggest treehouse that sat upon the clearing's circumference, stood a tan, shaggy-haired boy with a piece of sweet grass protruding from his mouth. He glared down at them, his arms crossed over his chest and his fingers tapping against the hilt of his sword in his waist holster. Though he had given them no identification either, she instantly knew that this was Jet. Behind him stood twenty or thirty more ragamuffins, some young, some in their late teens.

_Well, they certainly don't look too happy to see us._

* * *

**A/N: **And here, my friends, I give you... Jet! Or at least his grand entrance into the story. Sorry I haven't updated this in a while. It's just that, lately, I've been really focused on school, looking into colleges, practicing for my dance competitions, and just trying to deal with life in general, basically. Plus, I've had a little bit of writer's block the past few weeks, so I've been writing (or attempting to write) a lot of spur-of-the-moment oneshots that will probably never make it onto this site because then I get writer's block with those too and can't make it past the first paragraph. So I haven't necessarily been working on this, haha. Well, let me know if you like it so far! Reviews make me happy and make my day. I may not get around to replying to every single one of them, but I definitely will read them all because they are greatly appreciated. See ya later :)


	4. Chapter 4

"Who are you and what do you want?" Jet glared down at the intruders with narrow eyes and a fierce scowl. Not ten minutes ago, one of the scouts that was positioned in the treetops on the outskirts of the colony had informed him they were coming this way. He'd then sent out the order for everyone to gather at the "Town Hall" (which was what they called the biggest tree house in their tiny clan that doubled as both Jet's living quarters and the place where all meetings were held) so they could assess the situation and decide how to handle it. Despite the fact that the war was over and the Fire Nation fortresses that had once loomed nearby were long gone, he still refused to let his guard down when it came to outsiders stumbling upon his village. Call him paranoid, he didn't care. He kept his followers safe.

"We come in peace!" It was the girl who had spoken, and his eyes flickered to her face. She had pale, porcelain skin, eyes the color of golden Autumn leaves, and short, silky black hair. She held her hands up in a gesture meant to reinforce her statement, but he was not fooled. She was definitely of Fire Nation descent. And that meant she could not be trusted.

"Who are you?" He repeated, his already threatening tone taking on a steely edge.

"My name is Song, and this is my father, Letoh," she said as she gestured to the man beside her. He had dark brown hair that was starting to gray pulled back into a tight topknot and he clearly hadn't shaved in a while, if the scruffy, tangled mass of hair that clung to his face was any indication. His eyes were small and beady, and didn't seem to fully take in what was going on around him. "We are travelling to the eastern shore of the Earth Kingdom in order to meet with some old... Friends."

He raised a brow as he catalogued the way she chuckled nervously and dragged her eyes to the ground.

"Friends?"

"Um, yes, you see, we have not seen them since the end of the war and we've been planning a sort of... Reunion."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it is," she replied with the slightest amount of testiness. Her beaming smile had grown a tad strained and he could see that her shoulders were tensed, even from twenty feet above. He resisted a smirk. Good, he was getting to her. It was only a matter of time until his interrogation irritated the absolute shit out of her and cracked out the reason she was here.

He paused. "You're from the Fire Nation."

She visibly flinched and he knew he caught her.

"Yes, we are." She sighed and the smile fell from her face. "We know that there are many people in the Earth Kingdom who still scorn us, with due cause. My father and I are not proud of the violence our country has inflicted on the rest of the world. We are deeply sorry for any hostility or threatening behavior that our Fire Nation soldiers have displayed. That... That is why we are headed east."

"What do you mean? I thought you were just going to meet some 'friends'?"

She shifted from one foot to the other and glanced at her father, who still had not spoken a single word and continued to gaze off into the distance. Was something wrong with him?

"I don't think I can tell you."

Jet snorted. "Oh, really? And you think we're just going to let the two of you waltz on through our village without any explanation as to what you're up to, since it's obvious you're up to _something_, when you could easily be Firebenders planning to kill us all?"

The girl drew back slightly, her hands on her hips and her expression indignant. "I'll have you know-"

"Song." Jet's attention was redirected to the old man, her father, whose eyes were still glued to whatever he had been staring at this whole time. Song momentarily seemed surprised that he spoke, but quickly recovered and waited for him to speak. "It is clear that these warriors do not trust our people. Perhaps we have more to gain by telling them about our plan than we have to lose..."

The girl crossed her arms and seemed to consider this for a moment. Then, after glancing right and left at his followers, crowded together, listening intently in the trees, she asked, "Is there a more... Private place we can talk?"

* * *

Azula settled herself down on a scratchy, green pillow in the upstairs room of Jet's treehouse with a feeling of satisfaction. She thought she played the part of a high-spirited, outgoing, teenage girl rather well. This first little interaction with Jet and his followers was only just the first act, however. She would have to keep it up almost constantly. She could only really be herself when she was alone or with Katzu, and even then, she'd still have to keep her guard up. She was confident she could do it, though; she was a master manipulator, and no one would ever suspect that she was, in actuality, a _ruthless_ and outgoing teenage girl. Well, at least not yet, anyway. Once she gained Jet's trust, freed the war supporters, and engaged in a battle to the death with her brother for the throne, then the secret might come out.

She glanced around the room with mild interest. Jet's living quarters were... Quaint, at best. There were a few raggedy, mismatched rugs thrown on different spots on the floor. There were a few shelves along the walls that held various knick knacks and a few pictures of what seemed to be a family. There was a pile of clothes in one corner of the room that looked as though they hadn't been washed in a few weeks, if the sweat stains were any indication. Azula crinkled her nose in disgust. Boys could be so gross.

The only thing close to a bed in the room was a hammock strung from one branch that poked through one of the walls to a hook imbedded in another. She wasn't remotely impressed with any of her surroundings until she laid her eyes on the various swords mounted on the wall behind her.

_Well, those certainly look expensive. Wonder who he stole them from_.

"Don't get any ideas." As if on cue, Jet marched through the door and plopped down in front of her and Katzu, eyeing them warily. He hadn't come in with them, probably because he was giving orders to some of the other boys in the camp to stand watch outside the door. "I'm armed with concealed weapons and those are too heavy for you anyway."

Azula turned back to face him, eyebrow raised and smirk intact. "I hadn't planned on killing you, so calm down. I was just looking. And how would you know those are too heavy for me? I _can_ handle myself."

He smirked right back at her. She had to admit, he really was a handsome boy; with his tan skin, unkempt hair, and toned muscles that were clearly there under his nearly-skin-tight shirt. It was too bad he'd most likely ruin his pretty face and die in the end.

"Well, Miss Song, I don't mean to come off as sexist, but a small girl such as yourself wielding such large blades... I just don't see that happening."

"And yet you were still worried that I would attack."

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Never trust the Fire Nation."

Azula schooled her features into a serious expression and crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay. If we are going to disclose the information to you that explains why we are here and the real reason we are headed east, we need to make sure of a few things. You are not the only distrusting individual here."

His eyes flickered between them suspiciously. "And what kind of things do you need to make sure of, exactly?"

Azula took a breath before she continued. "That you don't work for the government, you won't expose our true motives to the authorities, you'll offer us protection if needed, and... You'll consider helping us."

"I can't agree to any of that until I know who you are."

The Fire Princess feigned a nervous yet annoyed glance at her "father", who nodded for her to give away the information the rebel in front of them requested.

"But Father, what if he turns us in? We've already come this far-"

"Song." Azula snapped her mouth shut and stared at her accomplice a moment longer. She had to hide her surprise at how well he was playing this game of charades. She'd expected him to screw up sooner than this.

"You have to understand, Jet," she said with a defeated sigh as she stared down at her hands, clasped together in her lap. "My father and I are not like the other people in the Fire Nation who wanted to take over the world. We believe in democracy, and that the four nations should live in harmony and carry on with their own customs and traditions." She ignored the faint whisper of her mother's voice in the back of her mind that chanted, _Lies, lies, lies_...

"When the Avatar defeated Fire Lord Ozai and Prince... Prince Zuko inherited the throne," Azula struggled to keep the disdain for her brother out of her voice. "Everyone thought they were finally safe, because the war was over and we were no longer a threat. Nearly everyone still believes this a year later. Even the most skeptical individuals have come to accept that we are not going to invade their homelands anymore, and that we are working towards becoming a friendlier and more peaceful nation."

Since she had read up on Jet's file before even leaving her real father's home, she knew that he was one particular skeptic who had not. The current look of disbelief on his face both reinforced and confirmed this fact.

"But, I am afraid that those who have come to trust our country once again, should not. You are very smart to be wary of us, though I assure you that we are not the ones you should be afraid of. In fact, we are going to east... To find help."

"What? Why? What's going on?" The confusion and alarm were evident in his eyes, and Azula had to repress a smirk, knowing it was only a matter of time before she had him lured into her clutches.

"My father is a very high ranking military officer in the Fire Nation. Or at least he was, before we ran away. He was able to get his hands on some information about Fire Lord Zuko's plans for another invasion in the coming year. I'm sure you've heard of the 'prison' that stands a few miles off shore of the Earth Kingdom. You also probably believe that it really does house all the most dangerous war criminals. Well, that is what they want you to think."

"But if the war criminals aren't the ones being detained, then who is?" The tone of shock in his voice let her know he was playing right into her hands.

She paused a moment for dramatic effect, something she was quite fond of. "The prison contains rebels, such as yourselves, who tried to defy Fire Lord's Zuko's plans for another war. They attempted to attack our capital, and did a hefty amount of damage. Our government and military have kept it hushed up, and threatened to throw any citizens who would dare to speak of it to persons of other nations in the prison along with them. We are going to free them so we can assassinate the Fire Lord."

Jet stared right through her, as if she wasn't even there, and let her words sink in. His posture had become tense, as if he was ready for an attack from any angle. Azula supposed that she made it sound like he should be ready for such a thing, and resisted a smug smile that was threatening to creep up on her face.

"How long would a quest like this take?" He finally drawled, slowly and thoughtfully.

"Well, we can't know for certain until we figure out how many people are willing to come with us," she replied tiredly. "We know we can't break the rebels out by ourselves. We're lucky to have stumbled upon your village. You and your followers seem to have at least _some_ experience with fighting, judging by the protective armor that some of you wear over your clothes. My father seems to think that you could all be of help to us. Will you at least consider it?"

He leaned back on his elbows and stared up at the ceiling. "Proof," he muttered. "I need proof. How do I know this isn't a trick? I'm sure the army still has a death wish for me 'cause I gave them so much shit back when those colonies were nearby. How do I know you're not leading me to them or leading them to me?"

Azula nodded at Katzu, who then proceeded to pull one of the scrolls Ozai gave to them out of his bag. He unraveled it and handed it over to the rogue boy, who took it delicately into his hands and began to read aloud.

_"I, Fire Lord Zuko, command all military strategists, soldiers, shipbuilders, and weapons manufacturers to prepare for a future invasion of the three other Nations besides our own (Air, Earth, and Water). This endeavor is a top secret subject and shall not be discussed outside of the palace meeting room unless otherwise permitted by me. The first meeting to arrange plans for this event will be held in approximately one month from now (June 16th). All members of the advisory board must be present, as well as the Avatar. He will be permitted to leave his imprisonment for this occurrence only." _

Jet stared down at the wax Fire Nation insignia that served as an official signature, trembling in anger. "He had us fooled, that prince. He had us all fooled into thinking he was going to help the Avatar restore peace and be our saving grace. He lied to all of us. And now we'll all have to endure another war. People will lose their homes, their lives, the ones they love, all over again. Even more people are going to die."

"Not if we can stop it," Azula interjected gently, pleased with the fact that he was hooked on the bait. "Please, Jet. We need your help. We wouldn't know who else to turn to if you said no. I know this is a lot to take in, and if you need some time to think-"

He held up a hand to cut her off before standing. "I think the two of you should stay here tonight. The treehouse next door is vacant, and you can sleep there. But don't even try to run away. I still don't trust you, and there will be guards positioned outside in case you make any stupid attempts. I... I'll think about your offer and let you know tomorrow whether or not my colony and I will help you."

Azula nodded excitedly and put on an understanding expression. "Of course. My father and I greatly appreciate this. Thank you."

He shot a curt nod in her direction before opening the door and ordering a small boy to take them to the treehouse.

* * *

**A/N**: Wow, sorry it's been so long since I updated. I've been really distracted with so many other things like finals and college stuff and I'm not gonna lie, I kind of got really caught up in Mrs Pettyfer's "The Black Games", which is a fantastic Zutara fic, in case you didn't know. It's sort of an AU, set in the world of the Hunger Games. Or maybe I should say that the Hunger Games are set in the world of ATLA. Typically, I don't like a lot of AU or crossover stuff, but this was definitely a good read and I'm sort of disappointed in myself for putting it off for so long. So if you're a fellow Zutara shipper and have not read this yet, I highly recommend you do! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks to those who have reviewed. Let me know what you think so far! :)


	5. Chapter 5

Jet collapsed onto his hammock with a sigh as he stared up at the ceiling and gently pushed his foot off of the floor so as to set his makeshift bed into a lulling motion. It had certainly been a long-ass day, and there was a lot to take in. He still had a hard time believing everything the girl, Song, had said. Though, the more reasonable part of him supposed that he didn't actually have any valid reasons to doubt her, save for the fact that she was from the Fire Nation... But then again, she and her father _were_ on the run, and apparently the old man was a military officer before they fled their homeland...

The rogue teenager groaned and rubbed his eyes tiredly. There were too many conflicting whys and wherefores that were trying to pull him in the directions of believing her and not believing her. It hadn't _seemed_ like she was lying... And why would she have a reason to, anyway? He honestly and begrudgingly could not think of any excuse a girl and her father could have to come traipsing all the way across the ocean and into his forest other than what she had told him. So she must have been telling the truth. The Fire Lord really was planning another invasion.

But, _why? _Why would Ozai's son have gone to the trouble of befriending the Avatar if he was just going to use him to take over the world as his father previously planned? It seemed a little... Redundant. He would have ascended to the throne whenever his father died, anyway, so he still would have gotten to rule over the nations.

_Probably because he wanted to be the one who became famous for it,_ Jet thought after he mulled over it for a minute, _He let the Avatar get rid of his father first so he wouldn't succeed, and then he took down his own sister so she couldn't steal his idea. What a bloodthirsty, arrogant son of a bitch._

Jet twisted onto his side and yawned as his thoughts drifted back to Song and her father. They really were an odd set of characters, and he couldn't help but feel as though something about them was a bit... Off. The girl seemed friendly enough. Letoh, however, set him a little on edge. The man didn't say much, and typically that wouldn't bother him as he wasn't a fan of Chatty Kathy's, but in this case, it was kind of unnerving. Jet also found it strange that he looked nothing like his daughter.

While Song had thick, pitch-black hair, pale-as-snow skin, and deep, golden eyes, Letoh had thin, wispy, brown hair, suntanned skin, and chocolate brown eyes. If neither had told him that they were related, he wouldn't have ever guessed. But, who was he to judge? For all he knew, she could have taken after her mother.

That was another thing. Where exactly _was_ Song's mother? He doubted that they left her back home. That would have been way too risky. The police would have taken her in for questioning and probably beat the shit out of her until she told them where her husband and daughter went, because the "justice" system in the Fire Nation was most likely that brutal. Song and Letoh didn't seem like the kind of people who would _want_ something like that to happen, if first impressions were anything to go by.

_Although,_ Jet thought gravely, _They usually aren't._

His mind wandered back to his first encounter with Aang the Avatar and his little friends, Sokka and Katara. Katara. Now _there_ was an example of a first impression mishap.

He had thought that she wanted to save the world as desperately as he did. He thought she was passionate enough about the greater good to be able to overlook a few minor sacrifices. Well, he was definitely wrong about that. She was too much of a goody-goody- no, too much of a _weakling_- to be able to accept that when it comes to war, death is always the price of peace. _Always_.

Now, Song on the other hand... It was probably too early in the game to begin making assumptions of character, but she seemed different. The fact that she _wanted_ to go with her father to free the rebels and actually understood that in order to restore harmony to the world, they'd have to kill a powerful figurehead spoke volumes.

_Don't praise her too soon, though_, he reminded himself, _She may have a pretty face, but it could very well be a mask of deceit_.

Jet smirked. Well, if it _was_ a mask of deceit, it sure wasn't hard on the eyes.

* * *

Azula lay still as a statue under the scratchy cover of the rickety bed in the treehouse. She felt like pacing, but there were open windows that her "guards" could peek through at any moment ,and a sight such as that might have seemed a bit strange. She really didn't want or need this mangy, rag-tag group of savages to become even more suspicious of her than they already were.

She rolled onto her back and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure what time it was, but she hoped that dawn would arrive soon so they could get this show on the road. Granted, Jet had told her he'd give her an answer in the morning, but she was pretty sure that she already knew what he was going to say. Acting was one of her many talents, after all. So was persuasion.

In her attempts to try and force herself to fall asleep so as to pass the time, she found herself vaguely wondering what Jet's talents were. She already knew he was a skilled swordsman and strategist. This much was made obvious by the wall of weapons in his quarters and the fact that he was clever enough to build his village in the high-up treetops. A very smart move, indeed, in the case of a flood or an on-foot militia dead-set on taking them out. But what other abilities were concealed behind those glinting eyes and brazen smile?

He was clearly very fierce and protective. His followers probably meant the world to him, and Azula figured he'd defend them against an army of one thousand, if it came down to it, rather than see them get hurt or killed. A poor choice, if your main priorities included self-preservation, but she supposed that to anyone of sentimental character, an act such as that would seem noble.

Her mouth quirked out of amusement. A quality like that might actually work to her advantage. All she had to do was get him to trust and care about her enough so that he'd be willing to jump in front of her in the face of danger if they came across any combatal skirmishes during their quest.

A sudden, dark appreciation for the Earth Kingdom rebel swept over her as she began to slip away from consciousness.

Oh, yes. Jet would prove to be very useful, indeed.

* * *

**A/N**: Hey guys, sorry for the gap between this chapter and the last. I actually just got back from the beach yesterday, and was there a whole week, so there was no way I could update. But, on the bright side, I now have up to chapter eight written so that's a plus! :) Major thanks to those of you who have reviewed, and if you haven't yet, please do. Even if you don't have an account, you can still submit anonymously. Part of what fuels an author's desire to write is knowing that others enjoy and appreciate the product! Constructive criticism is also welcomed. I'd actually really like your opinions on a few things, such as character development, and whether or not you think the story is moving too fast or slow. These are the main things I worry about, so please be specific! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as short as it was, and the next few should be out this week. Au revoir! :)


	6. Chapter 6

_"Mommy, Mommy, watch what I can do!"_

_Azula glanced up from her spot in the shade of a spice wood tree, where she had been reading a Firebending scroll, to watch her brother run giddily over to where their mother was resting on a bench._

_"Mommy, you have to watch this! It's amazing!"_

_The six-year-old Fire Princess rolled her eyes out of annoyance and waited for Zuko to demonstrate whatever he was so excited about._

_"Okay, my son. I'm watching." Ursa turned her attention to her first-born child with a gentle smile._

_Zuko took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. A moment later, he leaped into the air and swung his leg up in front of his torso. A small burst of flame erupted from the underside of his foot, and he landed on the ground in a crouch, grinning from ear to ear. Azula simply stared, her mouth slightly gaping in disbelief. Her brother was already eight years old, and he had only just now mastered that move? She was two years younger than him and she had learned to do that ages ago!_

_Her eyes flickered over to her mother, and she felt a pang of jealousy when she saw her clapping and laughing joyfully because of Zuko's success. She glanced back down at the techniques she'd just been studying and smirked. Her brother wasn't the only one capable of new tricks._

_"Mother," she called as she stood up and let the parchment fall to the ground. "I've also learned something new and wish to show you."_

_Ursa placed her hand on Zuko's shoulder and pulled him a few steps back before nodding for her daughter to proceed. A smug smile crept across Azula's face as she found her center and inhaled. She collapsed to the ground and kicked her leg out, swinging in a 360 degree arc. A circle of fire surged forward in all directions, with her in the center, at an astonishing speed, and the Princess's eyes widened in shock and excitement. She had never tried that move before, and was very proud of herself for getting it right._

_"Ow, Mommy! It burns!"_

_Azula's head snapped up and she caught sight of her brother, who was hunched over on his knees and cradling his hand against his chest. Her mother was bending over beside him, concerned for his well-being._

_"Mommy, do something! The fire burned my hand!" There were now tears in his eyes._

_"Calm down, Zuko," Ursa soothed as she rubbed his back comfortingly. "We'll get you back to the palace and have a doctor look at it. You're going to be okay." She lifted her gaze to her daughter, anger and disappointment having replaced the worry that was evident a moment ago. "Azula, look what you've done. In your attempt to upstage your brother and draw attention to yourself, you have inflicted pain upon him. I suggest that next time you want to steal the spotlight, you practice what you are about to do, instead of just throwing caution to the wind and letting all of your power loose with something you have just learned." She let Zuko grasp her arm with his uninjured hand in order to haul himself up from the grass._

_"But- But, Mother, I did it right," Azula's brows furrowed in confusion. "Didn't you see? I got it right."_

_Ursa lightly shook her head and emitted a small sigh. "Yes, you did it right. But that is a tricky technique to master, and just because you performed it correctly on your first try doesn't mean you will not have to practice and reign in the flames." She began to lead Zuko away, and a very baffled and angry Azula was left behind in the garden._

_"You wouldn't have scolded him if he had done the same thing," the enraged young girl called after them as tears brimmed her eyes. "You wouldn't have gotten angry at him! You never get angry at Zuko! Nothing is ever his fault! It's always mine! Always my fault!"_

"It's always mine!" Azula's eyes snapped open as she held back a choked sob. She sat straight up in bed, her fists clutching at the blanket that covered her. Her chest heaved from her heavy breathing as she collected her bearings and tried to calm herself. She collapsed back onto her pillow and rubbed her eyes groggily a moment later.

She hadn't dreamed about that incident in over a year, hadn't felt the echoes of the neglect and disregard that had surged through her in such a long time. Honestly, what was with these sudden, unwanted reminders of her childhood? They were going to drive her crazy. _Again_.

A soft knock on the door startled her out of her daze. Azula silently prayed to Agni that whoever it was hadn't been subjected to her outburst as she stepped over a snoring Katzu and made her way over to answer their call. She schooled her features into an expression od sleepy surprise as she twisted the knob and swung the door open. Jet stood before her, arms crossed over his chest and his signature blade of sweet grass protruding from his mouth. He seemed to be deep in thought and his eyes roamed all over her face for a brief moment before he spoke.

"I thought about your request."

Azula nodded. "And?"

He gazed at her for a minute longer, as though he was trying to read her mind, and the intensity from his stare nearly caused her to flinch. She had looked countless others in the eye before, usually right when she was about to fire them from their jobs, sentence them to a lengthy term in prison, or kill them. She loved to see the fear etched on their faces, relished catching a glimpse of their pain and knowing that she would always remain stronger than and superior to them.

However, with Jet, it was different. The former Fire Princess was rather on the petite side to start with, and though she refused to admit it even to herself, she felt even smaller under his scrutiny. She almost had to force herself not to shrink away, and it took a bit more effort than she would have liked to keep her feet firmly planted to the spot. She decided to blame her sudden discomfort on the fact that she had just relived one of her most despised recollections and had drifted into a vulnerable state.

But vulnerable was something she should never be.

"And... I accept. I will talk to the rest of the colony later today so that we can start to pack provisions and supplies. We'll leave tomorrow at dawn. Sound good?"

She feigned a sigh of relief and smiled up at him. "Yes, that sounds perfect! Thank you _so_ much. You have no idea how much this means to us."

He smirked down at her. "Don't mention it. I figure that if you and your father were willing to travel this far, it wouldn't be for a lie. If the new Fire Lord really is planning a second attempt at world domination, then I want to be there to help take him down. We are the Freedom Fighters, after all."

_Excellent,_ Azula thought as she waved goodbye to his retreating form, _Everything is going according to plan_.

"Oh, and Song," he called as he turned back around to face her. "Breakfast will be ready in the cantina in about an hour. That's the second tree to the right of Town Hall. Help yourself."

"Okay, thank you," she replied before closing the door and making her way over to her sack of clothes. After a moment of contemplation, she decided to just go with what she had worn yesterday; a cheap, red, white, and gold, paisley-printed tunic with her red leggings and metal boots. She collected these items in her arms and started towards the large shade in the corner of the room, behind which she could change. Once she was dressed, Katzu's snoring caught her attention and she marched over to him angrily. It was a wonder he was still asleep.

"It's time to get up, you lazy bastard," she all but yelled as she delivered a kick to his side. "Get your ass in gear. We have an audience to charm."

* * *

Jet had, in fact, overheard his guest's outburst; he had just thought better of asking her what exactly was wrong. He barely knew her, after all. Why should he be concerned for a new acquaintance's personal troubles? She had probably just had a bad dream, anyway. She seemed as though she had just gotten out of bed when she answered the door.

He himself hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night. He'd lain awake for hours, contemplating the pros and cons of trusting the two strangers who had wandered into his camp and daydreaming about Song's pretty face...

Jet shook his head slightly to prevent his mind from wandering too far into that area, but smirked all the same. Yeah, she was a good-looking girl, even with messy bedhead. He couldn't deny it.

But beauty like hers was poisonous. She was still from the Fire Nation, and it was going to take a lot to get him to trust her.

* * *

**A/N:** So, I decided to post another chapter today after realizing how unbelievably short the last one was in order to make up for it. I mean I knew it was short, but after I published it, I realized it was _short_ short. I'm not the best at judging how long a chapter's going to be once I type it on here, as I usually draft everything on notebook paper and just stop when I feel like it's the right time to. The length never really has much of an influence there. But, anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well and don't forget to review. I do try to respond to all of them! Also, I have a request; if anyone knows of any "Jet moments" videos or something of the like on YouTube, please, let me know. I like to watch these every once in a while just to be reminded of a character's demeanor, their habits, and the way they talk. I find that it helps with character development, something I feel like I struggle with. I've searched for a Jet moments video myself, but I can't seem to find any and it frustrates me because I KNOW they exist. So please, let me know if you've found any!


	7. Chapter 7

"Alright, Father, let's see where this cafeteria is," Azula trilled in an unusually sing-songy voice as Katzu trailed across the swinging wooden bridge behind her. Despite her rude awakening that morning (compliments of her subconscious), she had decided she was in a rather good mood. She had gotten what she wanted with only half of the effort she had been prepared to put forth. Jet didn't seem to need much convincing, though she supposed his pre-determined hatred and suspicion towards her country were both major factors in that aspect. It had almost been _too_ easy to get him to say yes.

The two accomplices made their way over to the tree Jet pointed out, which emitted a loud racket, and Azula mentally prepared herself for any food fights, bar brawls, and whatever else these barbarians were likely to dish out. She was pleasantly surprised to find that there was merely an arm wrestling tournament taking place in the center of the room, and that was what everyone was so excited about.

_Good_, she thought as she lead Katzu over to a large, makeshift buffet counter, _At least we'll only be slightly annoyed while we eat_.

She grabbed a plate off of a haphazardly placed, mismatched stack and began to pile on some food. Once she was satisfied with the amount of seemingly edible solids and goop that she had acquired, she squeezed past the arm wrestlers and took a seat at a table in the corner of the room. Katzu sat down beside her a moment later, grumbling something about broken chopsticks.

Azula's gaze flickered around the room and she tried her best not to pull a face. "Absolutely no manners," she muttered as she took a bite of what she hoped was a dumpling. Those who weren't gathered around the contest in the middle of the room were shoving food down their throats like no tomorrow. Several individuals weren't even using proper utensils, instead settling for stuffing whatever they had collected from the buffet into their mouths with their hands. It was utterly repulsive! People didn't even eat like this in _prison_.

When she was about halfway done with her plate, that familiar, animal-like instinct that she was being watched seeped into her skin and sent chills along the back of her neck. She glanced up from her soup and spotted a pair of deep brown eyes that were transfixed right on her. They belonged to a rather scrawny body, and were embedded in a head that was adorned with a puffy, shaggy, mass of hair. Their owner's arms were crossed over its chest, its mouth twisted into a scowl. Azula quirked an eyebrow at the strange little creature that seemed to find her so fascinating.

The being smirked and motioned for someone standing next to it to follow it over to the former Fire Princess's table. It plopped down across from the two accomplices, propping its feet up on the tabletop, and a moment later, a tall boy in a pointed bamboo hat took a seat beside it. Azula noted the smaller kid's shoes disdainfully.

"Name's Smellerbee," a raspy voice croaked. "This here is Longshot. And before you ask, _yes_, I am a girl."

Azula's eyes widened only slightly in surprise. When she had arrived, she hadn't been sure if there were any other members of the female sex, besides herself, in a ten-mile radius. Although, by the looks of her, she wasn't entirely certain that Smellerbee even counted. She appeared to be more animalistic in nature than human.

The individual in question rolled her eyes and huffed, as if she had read Azula's mind. "I ain't the girliest girl around, but I like it that way and I'm not gonna change." She reinforced her point by launching a large glob of saliva into a spittoon on the floor nearby.

Azula crinkled her nose in disgust. Forcing a smile, she replied, "Clearly."

Smellerbee smirked and began to chip away at some dried mud that was caked around her nails. "Yeah, and I'm also _real_ good at detecting lies, or if someone's gonna bring us trouble." Her eyes flickered up to judge Azula's response. "That ain't gonna change, either."

The former Fire Princess raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Did this girl honestly think she was going to make her feel threatened? The very idea was absolutely preposterous! Smellerbee was an amateur profiler at best, while she had had loads of training in that department over the years. She could read others like ink on a scroll, and figure out what made people tick within a few days of knowing them.

She cleared her throat. "Well, I assure you that you've got nothing to worry about. My father and I are good souls who just want to make the world a better place. Right?" She turned to look at Katzu, but he was no longer beside her. Her eyes narrowed out of confusion and she scanned the room to see where he'd gone. He was nowhere in sight.

Azula was momentarily alarmed. Even though she hadn't been paying much attention to her pretend-father, she still should have noticed him take his leave. Had a year in prison really dulled her senses so badly that she couldn't even remain aware of her surroundings? If anything, prison should have made her senses sharper.

Smellerbee snorted. "Your Daddy's on his way back to your treehouse." She pointed a finger out the window beside the table, and Azula's eyes followed its direction. Sure enough, there was Katzu, ambling back across the connective swinging bridge. How on earth did she miss him leave?

"Doesn't talk much, does he?"

Azula composed herself and turned to face her company. "No, as a matter of fact, he doesn't," she said with a sigh that was so dramatic, even the tackiest Ember Island Player would be impressed. "Not as much as he used to, anyway. He _is_ a war veteran, after all. He's seen many people die, and it's taken a huge toll on him. Sometimes he has flashbacks in the middle of the night and wakes up screaming bloody murder. There isn't anything to be done about it, but Mother always puts a cool, damp cloth over his forehead and makes some soothing herbal tea for him, once he calms down. Well, she used to anyway."

Smellerbee's expression softened a bit and she glanced away awkwardly. "Oh. I didn't know. That must be hard for you and your family."

"It is, but we deal with it as best we can."

The younger girl was silent for a moment before boldly asking, "Did something happen to your mother?"

This question caught Azula off guard, and her eyes lowered to the table, a genuinely sad expression on her face. "She's... Gone." It wasn't a _total_ lie.

"Alright, I can see this topic is making you uncomfortable," the rogue girl replied as she placed her feet back on the floor. "Sorry for the hostility. I know I can be a little intense at times."

"Oh, it's fine," Azula said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "It's only natural for you to be curious about two strangers that have invaded your territory." _No matter how obnoxious and irritating your curiosity may be_, she added as an after thought.

Smellerbee's lips quirked into an amused grin. "You make us sound like gorilla lions."

_Wouldn't be too far from the truth_.

"My apologies."

"Hey, no offense taken. Listen, we gotta bounce. The Boss is holding some big, important meeting, and apparently it has something to do with the two of you. I hope it isn't about plotting your deaths, 'cause I think I sorta like you."

Azula gave her a strained smile and forced a chuckle.

"I'm just kidding. If Jet wanted you dead, you would be by now." She sent Azula a small wave before getting up to leave. The boy called Longshot, who had been eerily quiet throughout the entire exchange, offered a smile and saluted before following after her, leaving that thought to settle in with the golden-eyed girl.

_Well, I suppose I should consider that comforting,_ she thought as she finished off the last of her stew, _But I'm pretty sure I'd be able to take him down swiftly and easily if he ever tried anything_.

She smirked at the amusing prospect of completely kicking Jett's behind. Maybe she'd be able to convince him to partake in a sparring match at some point. It certainly would be entertaining to bring that visual to life. Of course, she would have to refrain from causing him any serious harm; he wouldn't be of much use if he was fatally wounded, now would he? Azula sighed as the loud banter and chatter from the arm wrestling tournament died down and the sudden silence brought her back to reality. The room was now empty, aside from herself, as everyone else must have filed out and gone to the meeting. For a moment, she was slightly offended. It was about them, after all. Why shouldn't they get to attend?

_Whatever_, she thought as she stood, collected her plates, and deposited them in a half-full bin where she assumed the dirty dishes were supposed to go. Afterwards, she stood alone in the cantina with her hands on her hips. For what seemed like the first time in her life, she was at a complete loss for what to do.

* * *

"Alright, everyone settle down and shut up. This meeting is now being called to order, so take a seat wherever." Jet stood at the front of the room in an authoritative manner and watched as his followers ceased their chatter and found seats in the benches and chairs around the room. He did not speak again until everyone was completely silent. "Okay, so I'm sure that the majority of you already has a general idea of what I want to talk to you about. You all saw our two 'guests' walk into camp yesterday, and you also probably saw them at breakfast this morning. You might be wondering why we have offered them such hospitality when we barely know anything about them. Considering their nationality, you might also be wondering why they're even still alive." At this, a few members of his audience sniggered, and he smirked. "Well, this is because our unlikely guests have informed me of something very important... And dangerous. Something that will change not just our lives, but the whole world's, too. _Again_." He took in the quirked eyebrows and frowns of confusion before dropping the bomb. "The new Fire Lord is planning another invasion."

He received a collection of gasps from his followers, and their expressions ranged from shocked, to angry, to appalled. There were a few stutters of protest, but overall, the entire crowd had temporarily become speechless. He himself had grown grimly serious during the pause in his speech.

"What the hell, Jet?" Smellerbee pitched forward in her seat, breaking the silence, her eyes wide with incredulity. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

He rolled his eyes as his arms crossed over his chest. "I only just found out last night."

"Well, what if Song and her dad are _spies_? Ever think of that?"

"Calm down, Bee. I have considered it, yes. And I know you all probably think I'm crazy for saying this, but I don't believe they are."

"Oh, really?"

Jet sighed. He understood where the skepticism was coming from, but he was still irritated that his judgment and decisions were being questioned. "Even if they were spies, they wouldn't have made up such an elaborate excuse for why they came here. The Fire Nation doesn't work that way. They like things to get done quickly and easily, more often than not with the element of surprise. They would have already known we'd suspect an ambush once we'd been found. And besides, think about it; why would they be coming after us, anyway? There really isn't any explanation as to why they would, unless they're still pissed about _us_ ambushing _them_."

This realization seemed to smack a lot of his followers in the face and many expressions softened when they decided he had a point.

"Jet, what exactly _is_ their elaborate excuse for being here? You've not yet told us."

He nodded in thanks to Longshot, one of the more levelheaded individuals in the room, for the reminder. "Sorry. Song and Letoh are here because they need our help. Letoh was in the military before they ran away and received a signed letter from Zuko himself, stating that another invasion is in the works. Little does the rest of the world know, a group of peace-loving rebels, such as ourselves, caused a rebellion in protest to the ongoing tyranny and landed themselves in a high-security prison just off the eastern coast of our kingdom. The Fire Nation has everyone convinced that it holds the most dangerous war criminals that could not be contained in the Boiling Rock, and anyone from their country who dares to say otherwise ends up there themselves. Song and Letoh are on their way there to free the rebels so they can take down Fire Lord Zuko and put a stop to the invasion. They have somehow managed to stumble upon our village, and asked for our help when I spoke to them last night."

"Wait, wait, wait," Smellerbee interjected once again, trying to make sense of the situation. "They want _us_... To help _them_... Free a bunch of _their kind_... To take down their own _leader_?"

"Yes."

She stared at Jet, completely baffled. "And... You think that we should?"

He stared right back, his jaw set determinedly. "Yes."

They looked at each other for a few more moments before Smellerbee collapsed against the back of her chair and emitted a defeated laugh. "Spirits, he's gone mad."

A few more of his followers had other questions, along the lines of _When would we leave? How many of us have to go? How long would we be away from home? Will any of us die? _and _Are you _sure_ we can trust these people?_

He answered them as honestly as he could. When it came to the subject of death, he grimaced. He didn't like the idea of one of his followers being given a scrape on the knee by an enemy, let alone one of them being killed. He supposed having this attitude was hypocritical and conflicted with his belief that "death is the price of peace", but these were his brothers- and sister, in Smellerbee's case. He'd known mostly everyone, besides the newer lost souls that he had recruited, for years and cared more about them than anyone or anything else. Nothing could compare to his love for his Freedom Fighters... Nothing except his hatred for the Fire Nation and his everlasting loyalty to his country. It stuck him between a rock and a hard place.

But he knew that there were bigger and more important things to worry about than the preservation of his clan, like, say, the preservation of the entire world. If the Fire Nation succeeded, it would be just as bad as an apocalypse. Victory for Zuko meant defeat for everyone else. He had to be stopped, and if a few good men had to die in the process, then so be it.

* * *

"They're called chameleodoves."

Azula tensed at the sound of his voice, but otherwise did not so much as flinch or turn to face him, as she had been trained not to show surprise or fear when snuck up upon by an enemy, and though she didn't consider Jet to be an enemy, old habits died hard. She wasn't entirely surprised that he was there, as she had heard a faint rustling of leaves a few minutes before he decided to show himself, but she had passed it off as some kind of animal. She turned to look at him and could not help but smirk as she wondered how long he'd been watching her.

"Strange little creatures," she noted as she eyed the winged lizard in one of the cages that hung from the branches above. "I've never seen one before."

He took a few leisurely steps towards her. "They're native to the Earth Kingdom. Specifically, this forest. You wouldn't find them anywhere else, unless one of them happened to wander off into a village nearby. Sometimes people will manage to catch them and keep them as pets or couriers for their letters. They can be trained just as easily as any other type of messenger bird. They're awfully smart."

"How fascinating."

He grinned and continued with his nature lesson. "They're dying out, though. We've been trying to catch them and help them re-populate. Longshot's in charge of the project. I'll have to tell him these little guys are waiting for him." He quirked a brow at her. "I heard you two met."

A small, tight-lipped smile spread across Azula's face and she folded her hands behind her back. "Oh, yes. We've been acquainted. Though I must say, he certainly didn't do a whole lot of talking."

Jet snorted and crossed his arms over his chest, amused. "He never really does. I suspect Smellerbee made up for it though."

At this, Azula could not stop herself from rolling her eyes. "Honestly, Jet, I've never met someone as talkative and, and, and _snoopy_-"

The rogue teenager laughed, and the vibrations caused that funny little blade of sweet grass to tremble. Azula briefly wondered what it tasted like.

"She means well. Since she's a girl, she thinks she has to prove to everyone how tough she is, even though no one actually doubts her."

_Sound like anyone you know? _Came that haunting, motherly voice in her head. She quickly brushed the thought away.

"Oh, I completely understand. Almost every girl is like that at her age. I've been told I was." She spat that last sentence out a little more bitingly that necessary and pushed all thoughts of Ursa to the dark cell in the back of her mind, locking them in.

"I can believe it. What brought you all the way out here, anyway?"

"I just thought I'd go for a walk, seeing as there isn't much to do around here. And what do you mean, you can believe it?"

His hand flew to his chest and his mouth gaped in mock offense. "You mean to tell me that my camp does not rise to the standards of a fair lady such as yourself? I am astonished!" His arm dropped back down to his side. "And I just meant that it isn't hard to believe that you would try to prove your worth to people who aren't questioning it. Your entire nation is like that."

Azula crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes, feeling slightly insulted for some reason. "So you think that because I come from the Fire Nation, I must be like all the others you've encountered from my homeland?"

"No. I'm just saying that it's understandable that you would have that same quality as all the others I've encountered."

She frowned. "I'm not entirely certain what you mean." Azula was confused. She didn't like that.

Jet sighed tiredly and shrugged. "When the war was still going on, the armies that invaded our kingdom were way more brutal and violent than necessary. Our civilians already feared you. You were already considered a threat. There was no need to hurt so many of our people."

"Well, we had to show you who was boss."

His head jerked back slightly and a look of angry confusion spread across his face. "I thought you were _against_ the war? Why are you defending what your country did?"

For a moment, Azula was surprised that she'd broken character. That had indeed been a very un-Song-like thing to say... She flipped her irritatingly short hair out of her face and shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, very displeased with herself after what she'd just said. "Oh, so now it's what my _country_ did, not what _I_ did?"

_There_, she thought victoriously, _Let's turn it around on him_. She still wasn't sure why it upset her that he saw her as a representative for everything her country, her _father_, did. She should have been proud that he saw her that way, as she personally believed that everything Ozai had ordered to be done was for the greater good.

"Well, I-" Jet stuttered and stumbled over his words. "That's what I meant."

"No, it wasn't. You look at me and you see all the panic, chaos, and ruin the Fire Nation armies have inflicted upon your people." She quirked a brow and paused for dramatic effect. "And yet, you still volunteered to help me take down the man who wants to do it all _again_. In that light, you see me as a noble, brave girl who wants to help the world get back on its feet, right?" She paused again, waiting for an answer, and took his downcast eyes as a sign to continue. "So, tell me; how can these two very different versions of myself exist at once?"

Jet slowly lifted his head to look at her, all traces of his previously friendly demeanor having been replaced by cold indifference.

"The meeting today went well and in your favor. We leave tomorrow at dawn."

With that, he was gone.

* * *

**A/N**: Welp, I finally updated! Sorry this chapter took so long. I haven't been feeling well. I don't necessarily mean that I've been sick, although, actually, I have been- just last week I was literally puking so badly that eventually nothing but bile or stomach acid was being hurled into the garbage bin and my throat burned with the nasty taste- TMI, right? But I've also been in a sort of depressed slump since I last updated and haven't been in the mood to write, and being in the mood is essential for putting out a good chapter. But, this one is extra long, I think! So there's that. I'm thinking about actually doing a few drabbles for Zutara week this year also, so let me know if you'd be interested in those as well. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and let me know how this story is developing in a review! Au revoir :)


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